A middle school in Silver Spring rewards students who get straight A's with a dance and a pizza party. The party begins during the last class period of the day for students with straight A's. They get to leave class early and head over to the party to enjoy a pizza lunch and a live DJ with other straight A students.

Students who get B's and C's are allowed to go to the dance once school gets out, while students with D's and F's aren't allowed to go at all.

This has led some parents to question the rewards system, with the parents of the excluded children calling the system unfair. Parents have complained about the requirement for straight A's and claim the program is divisive and exclusionary. The principal at the school is unapologetic, going on record as stating "It's an incentive to keep up the good work."

I'm having a tough time seeing anything wrong with rewarding hard work on the part of the students. A pizza party and dance for the students who got good grades shouldn't be viewed as unfair by the parents of students who get bad grades. It should be seen as incentive for their kids to work harder and get better grades.

If one of my kids had bad grades and didn't get invited to a party at school because of it, I wouldn't grouse and complain about how the school isn't acting in my child's best interest. I'd tell my kid to get his or her butt in gear and start working harder if he or she wants to go to the next party.

When I read the whining from the parents, I couldn't help but picture pansy liberals who cry themselves to sleep at night over how unfair the world is. God forbid their child doesn't get to go to a dance because their child didn't get good enough grades.

Life isn't fair. Handling middle school kids with white gloves doesn't prepare them for the shock of real life that's only 5 to 7 years away. Hard work gets rewarded and the sooner they learn that, the better.